Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister for Training and Skills
The Honourable Yvette D'Ath

Thursday, October 15, 2015

The Palaszczuk Government has today passed a suite of laws to strengthen Queensland’s response to domestic and family violence.

The Criminal Law (Domestic Violence) Amendment Bill and the Coroners (Domestic and Family Violence Death Review and Advisory Board) Bill was passed in Parliament House today.

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Yvette D’Ath said the laws included increased maximum penalties for breaches of domestic violence orders and for a specific notation to be made on a person’s criminal history for domestic violence-related offending.

“These measures send a clear message to domestic and family violence offenders in Queensland – we do not accept this conduct in our communities and we do not shy away from holding you to account,” Mrs D’Ath said.

Mrs D’Ath said the laws would increase maximum penalties for first-time breaches of DVOs to three years jail and subsequent breaches up to five years jail.

She said the laws will give victims “special witness” status when giving evidence in court proceedings and would establish an independent Family and Domestic Violence Death and Advisory Review Board to help identify systemic issues regarding services delivered to domestic and family violence victims.

“The legislation will ensure domestic violence-related offences can be recorded by the court on a person’s criminal history to reveal repeated family violence offending,” Mrs D’Ath said.

“This will help our judges and magistrates to become aware of repeat or problem behaviour before it escalates.

“The independent Family and Domestic Violence Death and Advisory Review Board will help to identify possible gaps in support services and seek to prevent deaths occurring into the future.

“However, these laws are just a small part of Queensland’s wide-ranging response to the scourge of domestic and family violence.

“We made it clear we will accept all 121 of the 140 recommendations identified for government action in Dame Quentin Bryce’s Not Now, Not Ever report.